Australia's Science Forum

When I first started here the head Teacher wanted some Jasper from a site 1 hour away from Tamworth to make Aboriginal weapons.
Being very new to the job that's what I did on my weekend. Drove all the way out there and collected rocks that incidentally were never used!
If asked the same now I would tell him what to do with his rocks!
(That head teacher didn't last long, we have a great one now)

Re Deer poo, I have a deer hunter friend (said Physics teacher fixed his walkie talkie) who may be able to find some or extract some, and the teacher and daughter (one of my fav ex students) live far away from the deer infested bush. I just thought it was a most unusual request! I offered wombat, rabbit, cow, dog, fox or wild duck poo, but she only wants deer.

I personally wouldn't have offered anything, I have a weak stomach for those kind of things.
I hope you got a really good present for Christmas!!!

We have a winner - DEER POO!
Oh dear indeed!

Yes it definitely wins....
So I was just wondering if others get asked to do things outside their job description for teachers or others and what are some of the requests. did you do it?

You know those Lab Tech instructions that begin with ....Simply blah blah blah.

Well I had to "simply" get some marsupial hair, to make a cross-section slide. This shows that marsupial hair has a figure 8 kind of a cross section, whereas all mammals - humans, dogs, cats, cows etc - have an oval shaped cross-section. Also, different hair cortexes.

So, thinking outside the box, I rang the local tourist traps....I mean Wildlife establishments. I got to hug a koala, while the keepers ran inside out sticky tape down his back, then we got a Bettong and finally a paddymelon. So I think I have a fairly unique set of slides, and yes, the whole cross-section/cortex thing is true and visible.

WOW thats great.

I know right?

Some days I wash up, and wipe benches, and some days I'm Super-Scientist.

The poo is still pending.....
Apparently it needs to be collected into a special container.
The saga continues.......

Got the poo yet